Want to boost your local SEO in 2024? Here are 20 local SEO stats for 2024 to help you refine your strategy and stay ahead of the game. In fact, these 20 local SEO stats for 2024 will give you insight into what’s current and what’s best practice.
1. Near Me Searches Have Gone Through the Roof
Near me searches have become the new normal in local SEO. They’ve grown by over 400% globally. That’s a big shift in user behaviour. Businesses need to step up their local SEO game to capture this growing search traffic.
84% of those “near me” searches are on mobile. 46% of all Google searches are local. Businesses need to be optimized for local search queries.
Growth
The growth of “near me” searches is crazy. From 2020 to 2021 “open now near me” searches grew by 400%. In the US alone there are 800 million of those searches per month. That’s a big shift in consumer behaviour and local intent and we need to prioritize local SEO.
For Local Businesses
The “near me” trend is a big deal for local businesses. Not having local SEO means missing out on a primary discovery channel for local businesses. Good local SEO can get you more visibility in local search results and more traffic and potentially more revenue.
Organic gets the most clicks in local search. 23% of users use Google’s autocomplete suggestions in local search so you need to optimize for those suggestions to grab the attention of potential customers.
2. Why Google My Business
Google My Business (GMB) is the foundation of local SEO. An optimized GMB profile gets you more local search visibility and more revenue for your business. With a complete and up to date profile you’re 70% more likely to get visits.
So GMB is a must have tool for local search visibility.
Click Through Rates
Claimed GMB profiles get up to 70% more clicks than unclaimed profiles. That’s why you need to claim and optimize your GMB profile to get more visibility and more traffic. In the local pack the top position gets an average click through rate of 17.6% that’s huge.
In 2024 the click through rate for the first position in Google search is 39.8%. That’s why you need to get to the top of the search rankings.
Customer Visits
Businesses with a complete GMB profile are 70% more likely to get in person visits. Optimized profiles get 38% more customer visits. 70% of consumers visit a store because of online information so having an up to date GMB profile is powerful for driving foot traffic.
Listings with complete and accurate info get 7x more clicks than incomplete profiles. So make sure to have thorough and accurate info on your GMB profile.
3. Online Reviews
Online reviews have a big influence on consumer perception and decision making. 95% of shoppers read reviews before buying, that’s a big deal. 75.5% of consumers trust reviews when making a purchase so they’re a key part of local SEO.
Trust Factor
49% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends or family. That’s a big deal so businesses need to actively manage their online reputation and have a strong presence of positive reviews.
Review Frequency
90.6% of consumers read reviews before buying. That means local businesses should prioritize managing and encouraging positive reviews to get customers and boost local SEO.
4. Mobile Search is King
Mobile search is the new normal in local SEO. Most searches are now done on mobile devices. That’s a big change in user behaviour so businesses need to focus on mobile SEO stats to capture this growing search traffic.
78% of local mobile search result in offline purchases. That’s the impact of digital on local businesses. 60% of mobile users call a business directly from search results so customer interaction is key to local SEO.
Mobile vs Desktop Searches
Local searches on mobile devices have grown big time, mobile is now the majority of local searches. 57% of local searches are done on mobile devices or tablets. 67% of smartphone owners use Google Maps so it’s a big part of local search behaviour. 70% of users have visited a business they found on Google Maps so mobile searches are driving foot traffic.
Mobile Website
74% of users will revisit a mobile optimized site. That’s why you need to have a mobile friendly website to retain visitors and encourage repeat visits. Users expect mobile sites to load in under 3 seconds.
67% of users will buy on a mobile friendly website so mobile optimization is key to conversions. Google’s mobile first indexing indexes the mobile version of the website so mobile friendly design is a must.
5. Voice Search Trends
Voice search is getting popular because of its convenience and speed. 27% of the global population is using voice search on mobile devices so this trend is growing fast. As more consumers use voice enabled devices for local search, voice search optimisation is a must.
In the US 20% of Google searches are voice search so this technology is getting adopted fast. By 2024 voice assistants will reach 8.4 billion units so businesses need to adapt their local SEO to this trend.
Voice Search Usage
1.16 billion smartphone users use voice technology weekly so voice search is widely adopted. 100 million people in the US own smart speakers so voice search optimisation is a must.
35% of Americans 18+ own a smart speaker so the reach of voice search is big.
Optimisation Strategies
Using long tail keywords relevant to the business and target audience is key to voice search users. As voice search grows in popularity businesses need to make sure their content is optimised for these types of queries. Use conversational and natural language in content as that’s how people speak when using voice search.
Voice search is important for local businesses to optimise their content. Include voice search in local SEO strategies to capture more of this growing segment.
6. Google Maps
Google Maps is a key tool for customers to find local businesses. 42% of local searchers will click on results from the Google Maps Pack so being in the pack can increase visibility and attract nearby customers.
Businesses in the Google 3-pack get 126% more traffic than those not in the 3-pack so Google Maps is a powerful traffic driver.
User Engagement
Google Maps is a key part of local SEO by directing users to local businesses, helping them to navigate and find services nearby. A lot of users use Google Maps to find local businesses in their area. Being in Google Maps is a must for local businesses as it increases visibility and chance to attract nearby customers.
Businesses in the Google Map Pack get higher click through rates so more potential customer visits. So make sure to optimise your Google My Business profile and keep your business information up to date.
Map Pack Clicks
Local businesses in the Google Map Pack get 42% of the clicks from local search. This increases visibility and potential customer engagement. Businesses in the Google Map Pack have a click through rate (CTR) of 23.7% in local search results.
The top result in local business search gets around 24.4% of all the clicks.
7. Local Intent in Search Queries
Local intent is a big driver in search queries, 46% of all Google searches are looking for local information. This stat highlights the importance of optimising for local SEO to capture search traffic with local intent. Businesses need to make sure their online presence meets the needs and expectations of local searchers.
Local searches with purchase intent like “can I buy” have grown by over 500% in the last 2 years. This is how important local SEO is in driving consumer behaviour and conversions.
Query Volume
There are 97 billion local searches on Google every month so the volume of local search is massive. 37,000 local searches are done on Google every second. So businesses need to optimise their local SEO to capture this traffic.
“Where to buy” and “near me” searches have grown by 200% in the last 2 years. This is how important it is to be visible in local search results.
Conversion Rates
75% of local searches result in a conversion, a phone call or a visit to a store. This is how effective local SEO stats are in driving real business outcomes. 78% of local searchers make a purchase so local search has a big impact on consumer behaviour.
High conversion rates from local search means big opportunities for local businesses. Optimise for local intent and be visible in local search results and you can cash in on these opportunities and drive more conversions.
8. Featured Snippets and Local SEO
Featured snippets can increase local business visibility in search results. These snippets appear at the top of search engine results pages, providing quick answers to users’ questions and driving a lot of traffic to the highlighted pages.
Most featured snippets are in paragraph format, 82% of all snippets. So it’s a great tool for local businesses to increase visibility and engagement in search results.
Appearance Rate
Featured snippets are valuable real estate for local businesses, they can increase visibility and engagement in search results. Local businesses in featured snippets get noticed by potential customers and get more traffic and inquiries.
Click-Through Impact
Featured snippets can boost click through rates for the pages they highlight. Businesses in featured snippets get more click through rates than those that aren’t, by around 8%.
So optimise your content to get featured snippets and organic search traffic.
9. Backlinks and Local SEO
Backlinks are important to improve a website’s authority and visibility in local search rankings. They are indicators of credibility, that helps to increase a site’s authority in search engine rankings. High quality backlinks from relevant and authoritative sources are more valuable for local SEO.
High ranking local businesses have at least 40 to 50 backlinks from diverse high authority sources. So building a strong backlink profile is important to improve search rankings and visibility.
Link Quantity
Backlinks are a vote of approval, that content is valuable and credible. Creating high quality, engaging and original content is key to successful link building.
Combining quality backlinks with great content boosts local SEO.
Link Quality
Content for link building should be relevant, engaging, useful and original. High quality backlinks are from relevant and authoritative sources.
Invest in building high quality backlinks and visibility and authority in local SEO.
10. Social Media and Local SEO
Social media can help boost local SEO efforts. A strong social media presence can increase brand visibility and engagement and indirectly impact local SEO by increasing content distribution and brand awareness.
User generated content can increase engagement by 28% on social media. Businesses that engage with customers on social media get 14% more foot traffic.
Engagement Metrics
High engagement on social media correlates with better local search rankings. High interaction on social media can positively impact local search rankings. Optimised social media posts can increase engagement by 10x.
Facebook video posts get double the engagement of photo posts. Boosted Facebook posts get more reach and engagement than non-boosted posts.
Platform Preferences
Multi-location businesses are seeing increased engagement on social media. Multi-location businesses posted 8.9 times a month on Facebook in 2023, up from 7.3 in 2022.
These social media trends can impact local SEO by increasing visibility and customer engagement.
11. Load Speed and Local SEO
One of the key factors that impact local SEO rankings is the load speed of a website. Faster websites improve user experience and can lead to higher conversion rates. Load speed is a big factor in local SEO as search engines favour faster sites.
Voice search results load in an average of 4.6 seconds, so content needs to load quickly. Optimising load times is a crucial part of any local SEO strategy.
Speed Benchmarks
In 2023, the average load time is 2.5 seconds on desktop and 8.6 seconds on mobile. Only 34% of the top 100 websites meet the Core Web Vitals criteria. Core Web Vitals improved by 10% for both mobile and desktop.
By September 2021, 41% of sites passed Core Web Vitals on desktop. These benchmarks show we need to keep optimising website load times to meet user expectations and SEO performance.
User Experience
Fast load times are key to a good user experience which directly impacts customer satisfaction and engagement. A one second delay in page load time can reduce conversions by 7%. Top performing local websites load in 2.5 seconds on average which is the benchmark for local businesses.
Optimising load times benefits the user experience and local search rankings. So it’s important for businesses to prioritise website speed optimisation as part of their local SEO efforts.
12. Structured Data Markup
Structured data markup is a powerful tool that helps local SEO by helping search engines understand specific information about a business. Local business schema markup has been shown to increase website rankings in local search results.
Local schema markup helps search engines understand business information, visibility.
Implementation Rates
Only 31% of businesses implement structured data markup on their website. 36% of local businesses have structured data markup on their website.
Structured data markup adoption has been increasing as businesses look to improve their SEO.
Ranking Benefits
Structured data can increase visibility in search results by up to 30%. Research shows structured data can increase SEO visibility by 36.6%, increase chances of being in featured snippets. Rich results created with structured data have 58% CTR compared to 41% for regular search results.
Websites with structured data rank higher in search results. Structured data can improve rankings by 2-3 positions for websites that implement it.
13. Local Keywords and Content
Local keywords in content makes content more relevant for local searches. Local keywords is key to visibility in local search results, rankings and traffic.
Local keywords in content improves search engine rankings and more targeted local traffic.
Keyword Usage
Location specific videos can improve local search rankings and visibility. Using local keywords is key to businesses improving their search rankings in local SEO.
Using local keywords in content consistently can increase visibility and customer engagement for businesses.
Content Relevance
Creating local relevant content is important for several reasons:
- Consumer Engagement: 75% of consumers will engage with local relevant content.
- Search Engine Optimisation: Search engines rank local relevant content higher, increases visibility in search results.
- Local Traffic: Content that addresses local issues gets more local search traffic and engagement.
Content that’s relevant to local interests and events can increase user engagement and boost rankings.
14. AI and Local SEO
AI is impacting local SEO and tools. AI is influencing local SEO more and more especially in how businesses are analysing customer interactions. AI will be integrated into local SEO strategies to give more personalised search results to consumers.
Local SEO will rely more on AI driven tools for optimisation and strategy. Recent AI advancements are leading to more personalised local SEO strategies, better user experience.
Algorithm Updates
Knowing the updates is key to local SEO success, as being aware of algorithm changes can impact rankings. Adjusting strategy accordingly is important as changes in SEO can impact rankings. AI driven tools can analyse consumer behaviour to tailor local SEO strategy.
Google considers up to 149 ranking factors when showing local search results.
Predictive Analytics
Predictive analytics can forecast local search trends, so businesses can act ahead of the curve. AI driven tools provide predictive insights for businesses to optimise local SEO. With predictive analytics businesses can see potential customer behaviour and preferences before they search.
Businesses are using predictive analytics to anticipate customer needs and shape local marketing strategy.
15. User-Generated Content
User generated content is important for local SEO as it increases online visibility and customer engagement. Engaging with local communities through user generated content builds trust and can increase business credibility. User generated content is becoming key to building brand credibility in local markets.
Engaging with local communities through user generated content builds brand loyalty and sense of belonging to customers.
Review Contributions
Reviews matter for local search rankings and customer decisions. Consistent review contributions from customers increases business’s online reputation and search visibility.
High quality reviews with keywords are good for search engines to understand business context.
Community Engagement
Community engagement through user generated content can increase local business’s online visibility and connection to the community. Ask customers to leave reviews not only boosts local SEO but also positive brand image.
16. Local Directories and Citations
Being listed in local directories is important for online visibility and credibility in local search. Local citations increases business’s online visibility and local search rankings. Consistent listings across local directories improves search engine rankings.
Local directories and citations are key to local SEO and visibility in local search results.
Directory Listings
46% of consumers use local directories to find businesses in their area. Having a business listed in reputable directories like Google My Business can increase chances of showing up in local search results.
Local directories help consumers find businesses in their area.
Citation Consistency
Consistency across platforms is key to local SEO success. Consistency across multiple platforms can increase local business’s search rankings.
Uniformity in business information across citations is important for local search results.
17. Video Content and Local SEO
Video content is being used to engage local customers and online presence. Video marketing is becoming more and more important for businesses to increase local search visibility. Adding videos to local SEO can increase user engagement as videos grab attention more than text.
Videos can increase user engagement by grabbing attention and conveying complex information in a bite sized format. That makes video content a valuable asset for businesses to increase user interaction.
Engagement Rates
Videos have higher engagement rates than text because of visual and audio appeal. Videos on business pages have higher user engagement than text only content.
User engagement is a key metric to measure content success.
SEO
Adding video content can increase organic search traffic by 50%. Videos on web pages can increase search engine rankings and user retention. Optimizing video content with keywords in titles and descriptions can increase search visibility and traffic.
Video thumbnails in search results can increase CTR, making listings more visible. Including videos in local SEO can therefore give big SEO benefits and boost business’s online presence.
18. Local Business Schema
Adding local business schema markup increases visibility in search results. This structured data helps search engines to display business information more prominently so customers can find local businesses easily.
Using Schema.org structured data helps search engines to understand local businesses and increase chances of showing up in search results.
Implementation Statistics
72.6% of pages that rank on page 1 of Google use schema markup. That’s how important schema markup is for high search engine rankings. Schema markup is becoming more and more important for businesses to increase search engine visibility.
Schema is important for local businesses as it increases visibility in search results by providing structured data that helps search engines to understand content better.
Search Visibility
Schema plays a big role in local search visibility. Adding local business schema can increase visibility by 25% on search engines. Adding schema can increase local search visibility and CTR by providing rich snippets in search results.
Schema can increase chances of showing up in rich snippets which increases search visibility for local queries. Using schema can increase local business’s visibility in search results by providing exact and up to date information.
19. Customer Interaction and Local SEO
Customer interaction increases local SEO results. Regular customer interaction increases retention and local search performance. Engaging with customers well can increase local SEO performance and is a must have in local SEO strategy.
56% of interactions with Google My Business profile leads to visit to the business’s website. That’s how important it is to have an active and responsive online presence.
Response Rates
Responding to customer inquiries quickly can increase local SEO by 15%. That’s how important it is to engage with customers timely to increase local SEO performance.
Also 92% of users choose businesses on the first page of local search results so high visibility in search results is a must.
Interaction Metrics
Customer interaction is key to increasing local SEO performance as it increases visibility and engagement. Businesses that responds to customer inquiries and reviews has higher trust and can lead to higher local search rankings.
20. Local SEO Trends
Local SEO is evolving, with big changes and trends happening. Businesses need to be aware of AI’s role in search algorithms so they can adjust their SEO strategy to stay visible in search results. Algorithm updates requires constant adjustments in local SEO.
Google’s algorithm now favours content that’s useful, reducing unhelpful content in search results. That’s how important it is to create content that’s meaningful and relevant for local SEO.
Future Outlook
Google My Business is evolving so businesses need to adjust their strategy to utilize new features. Businesses that uses the latest feature of Google My Business can increase their visibility and engagement with local customers.
As Google My Business is part of local search, staying ahead with its updates is key to future local SEO success. Local SEO is evolving, with big changes and trends happening.
Adjustments
To stay ahead, businesses will need to adjust their local SEO strategy to changing customer behavior. Businesses are now using data driven strategy to fine tune their local SEO and online presence. Approaching SEO as local business is key to optimizing their strategy.
By using predictive analytics businesses can improve their local marketing and cater to emerging customer trends. Adjusting strategy to latest trends and technology will be important for local SEO success.
Conclusion
In summary, local SEO in 2024 is influenced by many factors, from “near me” search to mobile and voice search. Google My Business, online reviews and video content are key to local visibility and customer engagement. AI and structured data markup are also important to optimize local SEO strategy.
To succeed in this ever changing environment, businesses need to stay updated and adjust often. Use the insights and statistics in this guide to improve your local SEO and get meaningful results for your business. Follow these trends and you’ll be on your way to local SEO success in 2024.
If you want to increase your sites local search traffic, our Perth based local SEO Perth service is here to help.
FAQs
Why “near me” search is important for local SEO?
“Near me” search is important for local SEO because it’s a strong local intent from users, with over 400% growth globally. By optimizing for this search you can increase local traffic to your business.
How does Google My Business affect local SEO?
An optimized Google My Business profile is key to local search visibility and ultimately more customer engagement and revenue for businesses. Investing in this is part of local SEO strategy.
What’s the role of online reviews in local SEO?
Online reviews are important for local SEO as they build credibility and directly affects search rankings, so they’re important to attract customers. Prioritizing positive reviews will get you more visibility and trust to your business.
Why mobile is important for local SEO?
Mobile is important for local SEO because most local search happens on mobile, and affects offline purchase. Make sure your site is mobile friendly to improve user experience and conversion rate.
How to use video for local SEO?
Use video content for local SEO by optimizing your video with keywords and get more visibility in local search and more user engagement. This will get you better search rankings and more traffic.
